The Bruins had to hold their breath late into another game on their shaky stretch, but in the end, they got the job done against Nashville, 4-3, in a shootout. The Bruins did keep up the offense, but Tim Thomas didn’t have the best day against a Nashville offense that didn’t get more than seven shots in any period.

Nashville was blanked in the first period, failing to convert on the man advantage. In fact, during the Predators’ power play (which came about after each side got a too many men on the ice penalty 1:41 apart), Patrice Bergeron snuck the puck away from Nashville and put in a wrist shot for the shorthanded goal.

However, during the second period, Nashville managed to make up for their mistake, this time converting a power play goal thanks to Shea Weber. Boston was shut out in the period, despite another power play chance, their third of the night.
As you might expect from the Bruins, the biggest drama occurred in the final regulation frame. Boston once again took the lead early in the period, but gave up another tying goal approaching the period’s halfway mark. Even Pekka Rinne, Nashville’s goaltender, got his second assist of the year on the play.

Thomas then let in the go-ahead goal with 3:32 left in the period, giving Nashville their first lead of the day late. Things looked troubling for Boston, but a late power play chance with 2:18 left helped their spirits, not that it had helped before. But with desperation perhaps setting in, Milan Lucic retied the game with just 1:07 left to send the game to overtime, and later a shootout.

Thomas did manage to stop both shots he faced in the shootout, while his teammates pounded the puck past Rinne for the victory.